The purpose of this investigation was to
provide a reconstruction of life in a large Byzantine monastic community
in Jerusalem using information gleaned from skeletal remains, and the rich
archaeological and historical records. Archaeological evidence demonstrates
a large walled monastery at the site during the 5th century, to which numerous
authors of the period make reference. Housed in the crypt complex
underlying the site are the remains of the occupants of this Byzantine
monastery.

Over 6,000 skeletal elements have been
removed to date. Although found in an ossuary setting and not as
discrete burials, detailed osteological analysis of population trends has
been possible. Historical records for the site describe a large,
affluent monastery; the robust, well-nourished adult male remains seem
to corroborate those accounts. They lived on average into their 40's,
and showed little evidence of previous childhood stress as measured using
enamel hypoplasias. The most common ailments were degenerative changes
of the lower limb, virtually all of which are associated with flexion
and extension of the leg.

Over 240 femora, patella, tibia, fibula
and calcanei were analyzed for this study. The majority (67%) of femora
demonstrated lipping and/or eburnation of the femoral condyles, arthritic
lipping along the linea aspera and the attachment site for the quadratus
femoris, and deep impressions for the popliteus tendon and the lateral
head of the gastrocnemius. Patellar pathologies included eburnation of
the articular facets, and lipping along the attachment site for the rectus
femorus. Tibia were affected at the attachments for the patellar
ligament, soleus, and tibial collateral ligament, as well as arthritic
lipping along the condyle margins, and deep impressions for the tibialis
posterior. Fibular pathologies included active response along the
anterior talofibular ligament and interosseous ligament attachment sites.
The majority of calcanei showed lipping at the site of attachment for the
Achille's tendon.

When the biological record of pathologies
of the lower limb are combined with the historical record of highly ritualized
monastic life which included daily, repeated kneeling for prayer,
this collection provides an ideal test for studying occupational stress.
It also demonstrates the utility of a functional analysis of population
trends using isolated skeletal elements found in an ossuary setting.

* This research was supported by the University of Notre Dame's Institute
for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts and the Faculty Research Program of
the Graduate School.